What is Monkey Branching? (+7 Signs of Monkey-Branching)
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The Optimistminds editorial team is made up of psychologists, psychiatrists and mental health professionals. Each article is written by a team member with exposure to and experience in the subject matter. The article then gets reviewed by a more senior editorial member. This is someone with extensive knowledge of the subject matter and highly cited published material.
In this post, we will be checking out what Monkey Branching is. We will also be showing you the signs that your partner is Monkey Branching. Furthermore, we will be giving you the steps that you can undertake when you realize that your partner is indeed Monkey Branching.
What is Monkey Branching?
Monkey Branching is when someone is already laying the ground or getting ready for another romantic interest while still in a relationship. Many people have different views on Monkey Branching with some going on to say that this is cheating.
On the other hand, others take it as a sign that the relationship is coming to an end. Whatever the opinion may be, it is clearly understood that Monkey Branching is not exactly a good thing for all of the parties involved.
Some people may have a pattern of Monkey Branching throughout their lives. This means that you will never be able to find them totally single. They will always be in one relationship or another. People like these may suffer from self-esteem issues.
Still, for others Monkey Branching may be a one-time thing. They may not be ready or may not know how to end things in their current relationship. Instead, they will start to build their next one, in hopes that their future partner will help them end the current one.
What are the signs of Monkey Branching?
Those who are Monkey Branching may do it in a different way depending on their personalities and needs. However, there are many easy signs which can point out the fact that your partner is indeed Monkey Branching. Some of the signs of Monkey Branching are listed as follows.
Their device still has dating apps
One main giveaway that your partner is Monkey Branching is the presence of dating apps on their device. This is especially if they have recently downloaded these dating apps and are unwilling to delete them.
Some people may even defend themselves when accused of Monkey Branching or cheating with the presence of these apps. They may even say that these apps were already present in the device and they don’t use it at all.
Whatever the matter may be, someone who is in a committed relationship has no use for dating apps. Secondly, the presence of dating apps makes it much easier and convenient to cheat on and interact inconspicuously.
They are always on their phone
Another sure-fire sign that something is not right in the relationship is that one of the partners is always on their phone. When someone is always on their phone, it means that they may be chatting or texting someone else.
This sign becomes even more valid when the person has become highly secretive of their phone and refuses to show it to you. They may also start taking calls in secret and may lie that it is a work call or it is their friend whom they are talking to.
They give a loose definition of their relationship status
Someone who is Monkey Branching is also sure to never give a clear definition of their current relationship status. They may tell other people that they are single, or they have recently broken up or something else which basically screams available.
When they tell others that they are not in a relationship, they have more opportunities for dating since others are going to be interested in them. Even if you confront your partner about this, they may simply gaslight you or may dismiss the entire thing as a lie.
They start to tell lots of lies
Partners who are Monkey Branching or cheating also tell lots of lies, especially white lies. All of a sudden, you will find that you have no clue about where they are or what they are up to since they lie to you all the time.
If you try confronting them about it, you may find a detailed story of more lies being rolled out to you. They might not only lie about their schedules and their everyday activities, but they may even lie about their feelings for you and the future they have planned out with you.
They are too focused on their appearance
In case your partner becomes suddenly focused too much on their appearance, it may be a sign of Monkey Branching. There is nothing wrong with trying to improve your appearance. But if it seems like they are trying too hard to get the attention of other people, this is a bad sign.
They may put the blame on you
Most partners who are Monkey Branching often feel guilty about their actions. When they feel guilty, they may often project it directly on to you to feel better about their wrongful mistakes. Due to this, they may often point out your flaws and your weaknesses time and time again.
They may also accuse you of cheating or trying to cheat even if you have been the best partner throughout the relationship. In case they find something indeed wrong with your fidelity, they may use this as the reason for their Monkey Branching when they finally break up with you.
They have a history of Monkey Branching
Another important sign to never skip out on is that your partner already has a great history of Monkey Branching. While everyone should be given the chance to change, it is also true that history often repeats itself.
If you find that your partner has always been in a relationship while moving on to their next, it may seem like that they have developed this as a permanent pattern. This can also signify that you might be next.
What to do when your partner is Monkey Branching?
It can be heart-breaking to know that your partner is indeed Monkey Branching. In this case, there are numerous things that you can do, for yourself, your partner as well as your relationship. When your partner is Monkey Branching, the things to do are:
- Confirm if they are really Monkey Branching. Sometimes the signs of Monkey Branching may be just sheer coincidences. If you have a suspicion that your partner is Monkey Branching, confirm the facts before you try other things.
In case they are just hearsay or just mere coincidences, you can stop sleeping with one eye open. But if the signs are indeed true and your partner is definitely on the hunt for another relationship, the facts will give you proof to move on.
- Be direct with them. You can also confront your partner about your feelings. This is regardless of if you really have proof about the Monkey Branching or even if they are just suspicions. If your partner is really mature, they will also communicate logically.
One big mistake that many people make during the process of confronting their partners is that they talk to them in an enraged manner. However, the best way to proceed is in a diplomatic way so that you both can process things in a more mature manner.
- Evaluate your relationship. In case you have newly found out that your partner is Monkey Branching, it can bring up numerous feelings in you. And sometimes, we may find ourselves becoming too emotional about the whole thing, unwilling to let go.
But, the key factor is to carefully sit and think about your relationship in a rational manner. Ask yourself if this relationship is indeed worth all the drama and if you can see yourself growing old with this person.
- Go to therapy. If you are having a tough time dealing with your partner’s Monkey Branching and are confused about it, you can also go to therapy. Relationship therapists will definitely help you understand why someone does Monkey Branching.
- Break off the relationship. Another thing to do is to simply come to a strong conclusion about the status of your relationship. This also means breaking it off. This is especially true if your partner does not accept their mistakes and tries to emotionally abuse you.
Conclusion
In this post, we have checked out what Monkey Branching is. We have also shown you the signs that your partner is Monkey Branching. Furthermore, we have given the steps that you can undertake when you realize that your partner is indeed Monkey Branching.
If you like this post, please leave your comments and questions in the space below.
Citations
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-do-people-in-relationships-cheat/
https://ifstudies.org/blog/cheating-then-and-again
https://etd.ohiolink.edu/apexprod/rws_etd/send_file/send?accession=bgsu1182801526&disposition=inline
https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Monkey%20Branching
https://medium.com/heres-the-thing/monkey-branching-is-cheating-9de91c22c66a
https://www.dailystar.co.uk/love-sex/what-monkey-branching-signs-cheating-16838469
